8 side hustles that cost absolutely nothing to start

Whether you want to boost your savings, pay off debt or stop living paycheck-to-paycheck, a side hustle may help you reach your financial goals. You may not be able to control whether you get a raise at work, but you have the power to give yourself a raise if you’re willing to hustle in your spare time.

As getting more money is the goal, no matter what you're going to use it for, you may not be looking to spend money to make money. Good news! There are side hustles that don’t cost a thing to start. Here are eight possibilities.

1. Dog sitting

If you love animals and have space in your home to care for them, becoming a dog sitter is a great side hustle. With Rover.com, you can set up a profile and get matched with people who need pet sitters in your area. Because of how flexible the platform is, you can also work only when you want and set your own rates. Rover also connects people for dog walking and house-sitting opportunities.

2. Running errands

People will pay you to do their errands, like picking up dry cleaning, shopping for groceries, or even coming over and assembling furniture for them. Sound like something you'd like to do? You can check out sites like TaskRabbit or Craigslist Gigs, which connects people who need help with side hustlers willing to do these tasks. Pay varies depending on the type of job and the required skill level.

3. Caring for others

If you love children and have spare time to watch them, whether in your home or at someone elses, babysitting may be the ultimate side hustle. Perhaps you enjoy hanging out with seniors. By creating a profile on a website like Care.com, you can meet people who need help with childcare elderly care or companion care. Pay depends on the job and where you live, but many care jobs pay up to $20 per hour.

4. Resume writing

Have a knack for writing resumes? It’s common to see job postings for this type of side hustle on websites like Upwork.com, although you may be able to pick up this gig through LinkedIn or your own network as well. Most of the time, you’ll earn $50 to $100 for a professionally written resume.

5. Freelancing

If you have a skill that translates to the online world, freelancing is a great side hustle to try. Maybe you’re a great writer, or perhaps you are excellent at creating website designs. Whatever your talent, it’s possible to earn real cash helping others who want to delegate.

To start your freelance career, you can create a free account on Upwork.com or Fiverr.com and start bidding on jobs.

6. Driving for Uber or Lyft

By driving for these services, you could earn up to $20 per hour transporting passengers around town. Of course, this gig does require you have certain things, like a car and smartphone.

While this side hustle doesn’t require any start-up capital, you may need to do some extra things to be approved by the rideshare companies, like having your car inspected by a third-party mechanic before you can drive. You may also consider adding rideshare insurance to your car insurance policy.

7. Teaching English

It’s possible to earn more than $20/hour teaching English to overseas students online. A website called VIP Kid connects people with bachelor’s degrees and teaching experience to this opportunity, promising 7.5-hour workweeks and six-month contracts. If you love teaching, have a strong grasp of the English language and want a simple side hustle you can do from home, this part-time gig could be a winner.

8. Taking online surveys

Your opinions could get you some extra cash. There are a ton of digital survey companies out there, like Inbox Dollars, User Testing and Survey Junkie. Each of these websites reward you with small sums of cash or gift cards just for answering basic questions and performing simple online tasks.

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